UFC 173 Results: Final Review of Scorecards and Top Performers

MGM Grand Garden Arena played host to UFC 173 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, and the exciting main card proved to be as compelling as expected.

The main event was stellar. RenanBarao, arguably one of the best fighters in the world, surrendered his bantamweight title to challenger TJ Dillashaw after Dillashaw put on an absolutely stunning performance against the champ.

Dillashaw now has big things on the horizon.

The main card featured great fights as well. While not as exciting as Dillashaw's win over Barao, the winners in those bouts fought hard and deserved their victories.

Below is a table complete with the results from UFC 173's main card and main event, as well as some analysis on the top performers from Saturday night.

Full Results

UFC 173 Results

Match

Winner

Outcome

Renan Barao vs. TJ Dillashaw

Dillashaw

TKO

Dan Henderson vs. Daniel Cormier

Cormier

Submission

Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Ellenberger

Lawler

TKO

Francisco Rivera vs. Takeya Mizugaki

Mizugaki

Unanimous Decision

James Krause vs. Jamie Varner

Krause

TKO

UFC.com

Top Performers

TJ Dillashaw

USA TODAY Sports

Dillashaw was stellar, knocking out Barao in the final round of their main event fight. The implications of the victory for Dillashaw are huge, as Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com pointed out:

The result snaps a 33-fight unbeaten streak for Barao (32-2) that dated back to April 2005. It also handed Dillashaw's gym, Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, its first world title. The team had gone winless in six previous UFC title fights.

Now the 135-pound champion, Dillashaw earned himself the right to fight another quality opponent in his first defense of the title.

Dillashaw, known as the Viper, almost finished off Barao early in the first round before the then-champion regained his composure and continued fighting. Dillashaw was all over him for the rest of the fight, however, and shockingly, Barao appeared overmatched.

Barao is still one of the most talented fighters in the world, making this victory for Dillashaw even more impressive. A rematch could very well be in the cards for the two fighters, especially given Barao's past successes.

But for now, we should just focus on praising Dillashaw for a nearly flawless fight against an exceptionally tough opponent.

Daniel Cormier

USA TODAY Sports

Staying unbeaten against one of the most revered fighters in UFC history is usually cause for celebration. Daniel Cormier did just that, defeating Dan Henderson by submission to improve to 15-0 in his career.

Cormier won this fight on the ground. Henderson was never able to get back to his feet when Cormier got him down, as Cormier used his size and strength to keep Henderson on his back. Once in that position, Cormier unleashed a flurry of punches and strikes that both did damage and tired out the 43-year-old.

With three minutes and 53 seconds remaining the third round, Cormier finished the fight. No longer looking to tire Henderson out, he got behind him and choked him to submission.

Which winner was most impressive?

DillashawCormierMizugakiSubmit Votevote to see results

Which winner was most impressive?

Dillashaw

93.3%

Cormier

3.3%

Mizugaki

3.3%

Total votes: 30

His ability to keep Rivera on the ground and deliver strong blows to his opponent's body was crucial in both racking up points and tiring out Rivera. After doing so, Mizugaki used wild movements and quick strikes to do even more damage.

The first instance of this came just 90 seconds into the fight, when Mizugaki dropped Rivera after landing a crushing overhand blow to Rivera's ear. Rivera hit the mat and Mizugaki attacked, but Rivera was able to stand back up and continue fighting.

When Rivera went down in the third round, that was all Mizugaki needed to earn the win. Rivera slipped, and Mizugaki went to work.

In winning unanimously, Mizugaki showed that he is no longer the roster filler that he was earlier on in his career. He is climbing the ranks of his division.